


Historical Ladybug

by Sparky29252



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Age of Sail, Gen, Historical Miraculous Holders, more tags as new chapters warrant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 06:25:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11503629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparky29252/pseuds/Sparky29252
Summary: Marinette is sick, Hawk Moth is laying low and it's raining out. So in order to keep her entertained Tikki reveals a tome of the adventures of previous Ladybugs. We begin with a story about the early days of Captain Ladybug in the West Indies





	1. Historical Ladybug (aka the framing device)

The rain outside continued to fall, heavy and continuous. It wasn’t a flood by any means but it was more than enough to keep most anyone in Paris inside. The normally crowded streets were almost empty, save for those with pressing business hurrying to their destinations. And from her room Marinette Dupain-Cheng was watching in abject boredom. 

“Tikki are you sure I can’t go out on patrol?” Her voice was oddly pitched, and her face abnormally pale. 

“Now Marinette the powers of the miraculous give you speed, strength, the lucky charm and more besides. But it won’t make you get over this cold any faster. If Hawk-Moth does anything of course you can go out. Until then stay and get some rest.” The tiny Kwami did her best to look stern in the face of Marinette’s reluctance. 

“Well at least let me out long enough to tell Chat. He’ll be waiting for me.”

“I’ve already informed his Kwami. He knows you won’t be patrolling tonight. And if that cat-fairy has any sense he will keep that boy inside as well.” 

“Wait” Marinette perked up a bit as the information hit her properly, “You can do that? Talk to his Kwami I mean?”

“Well sure. After all you two can talk through the phones built into your yo-yo and stick, and those only come out when we go into the miraculous. So, in a way, it’s a part of us. So, yes, we can talk. We don’t most of the time though.” Tikki actually sounded a bit down when she finished. Marinette wanted to probe but could tell the Kwami wasn’t in any mood to discuss that. Instead she followed up on an old question. 

“Say, Tikki. I know that the phone is, well, magic and all of that. But you’ve also been the kwami for every Ladybug for thousands of years right? So, why is there a phone? I mean, they couldn’t have had them in ancient Egypt right?”

Clearly glad of the diverting topic Tikki actually brightened up a bit. She zipped behind Marinette’s desk and returned moments later, dragging a surprisingly large book with her. It was bound in leather, the pages marked with gold edges. The cover and spine didn’t have a title written on them anywhere, but the front did have a small circle that looked identical to Marinette’s earrings. Tikki dropped it onto the bed with a satisfied smile and a small grunt of effort. 

“I’ve been saving this for a while Marinette. But I guess a sick day with a pouring rain is just about perfect isn’t it?”

“Perfect for what?” Marinette half reached for the tome, “and what is it?”

“The history of the Ladybug. Stories of her adventures from Mesopotamia to, well actually just short of when you picked up the earrings.” Tikki sat on the edge of the cover, beaming up at Marinette. “You don’t get an entry until after you retire. Makes it easier to pick the best stories that way.” With apparent effort she pushed open the front cover of the massive book. 

“Wow Tikki this is amazing.” Marinette finally overcame her hesitation and picked up the book, leafing through it’s pages at random. It was in remarkable condition and had that same slight buzz of magic that she felt when she was Ladybug. “And thank you, this seems just the thing to pass the day.”

“You can start anywhere but one of my favorites was always Captain Ladybug. She operated during the Golden Age of Piracy, out in the Caribbean. And, no, the yo-yo didn’t have a phone then. That sort of thing tailors itself to the wielder.” At Tikki’s urging Marinette scanned through the pages until she found a heading proclaiming the story of ‘Captain Ladybug’ She began to read...


	2. Miraculous Age of Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now we dive in properly, getting a first glimpse of the Akuma fleet and Privateer Captain Ladybug. This started as an AU thing but I decided I like the historical angle better. Hope you enjoy.

The ship’s flag was a black field with the white silhouette of a butterfly in the center and crossed sabers beneath. A few years ago this would have been seen as ridiculous, not something any pirate would dare fly. Now, however, all who saw it would flee. Or, at least, almost all. 

“Akuma Fleet Sloop! Dead ahead, bearing for St. Kitt’s!” the lookout cried. Below the ship’s captain confirmed the sighting with her own spyglass.

“Very good Mister Daniels.” she called back to the crow’s nest. “Mister Kante, prepare the cannons.” This was answered with a crisp salute followed by bellowed orders below-decks. Taking the wheel Captain Thompson set herself with grim determination, they would not escape her this time. Almost as if sensing her captain’s will the privateer vessel Ladybug surged forward, every inch of sail catching a fresh breeze. They began to close the gap and soon The Ladybug almost had the Akuma vessel in reach of her long guns. The captain took another look through her glass,

The ship was abandoned, or at least almost entirely so. No one moved along the deck, no motion betrayed anyone behind the silently extending cannon ports, no sailors climbed among the rigging. And yet the cannons were extending, the ship’s sails did trim themselves. And there was one figure standing at the helm. From the view through the spyglass he looked like a hulking brute, almost a part of the ship, shaped of rusted iron and weathered wood. The ship’s wheel in his hands looked almost comically small. Captain Thompson hadn’t seen this one before but none of the strange captains in the Akuma fleet were monstrous. The Ladybug continued her relentless pursuit, the captain almost begging the ship to go faster. 

The port of St. Kitts could defend itself against pirates, and could probably also make a good showing from a dedicated attack from some European power. But nothing could stop the unholy ships of the Akuma fleet. Nothing that is, but The Ladybug. Finally unable to contain herself the captain barked out another order. This one though didn’t seem to be to the crew as much as the ship itself. 

“Tikki! Spots on!” In seconds the entire vessel was bathed in a light pink light, the wood gleaming, the white sails replaced with red ones marked with black. The flag, previously marking the ship as a British privateer, turned into the mark of the Ladybug. A stylized black insect on a deep crimson field. It snapped and fluttered in the wind as the vessel gained ground on the Akuma. The captain was similarly changed, her usual ship’s coat and broad hat replaced with with a more ostentatious affair echoing the colors of her personal flag. A domino mask hid her eyes. Her smile was almost predatory. 

“Right men. Time to lay into this scallywag. You know the rules. Pummel them with broadsides. No grapeshot unless a crew comes out of the woodwork. We aim to sink her, and if we take the flag there’s a fine bounty for us. No salvage and no boarding.” To almost any other crew, pirate, privateer or naval, this would sound insane. But the men aboard the Ladybug knew what they were up against better than most. They each saluted or bellowed or nodded assent. The captain returned a brief nod and with that the battle was joined. 

The Akuma ship was fast, no doubt about that. And as a sloop it could sail rings around most larger ships. In minutes it would have closed with the port and begun it’s vicious attack. In truth it attempted to continue before the pummelling from the Ladybug’s forward guns demanded a response. With a snarl the strange figure at the helm wrenched at the wheel. The ship actually lifted it’s bow from the water as it pivotted in defiance of all logic and physics. The roar of it’s guns giving answer to the Ladybug’s opening salvo seemed to split the air in twain with sheer force. Grape shot tore across the upper deck, peppering the sails with holes, cutting gouges out of wood and leaving a few sailors laying in their own blood. The wounded who could walk helped carry those who couldn’t so they were at least out of the way. 

“They challenge us! Mister Kante prepare our reply!” the quartermaster of the ship nodded as the vessel mirrored the rotation of the Akuma ship. 

“Chain and Bar!” he yelled over the still echoing din of cannon fire. “We can scuttle her after she’s adrift!” Every cannon on the ship was ready save for it’s payload. By the time The Ladybug was presenting her broadside to the enemy every gun was loaded and trained on the spars of their rival’s deck. Mister Kante hesitated fractionally, waiting for just the right moment before bellowing the order to fire. Almost as one the starboard broadside went off, chain shot and bar shot scything through the air. Some fell short and cut through lower decks, some went high and merely cut rigging or sails. But a few found masts and managed to bash out large chunks of wood. Splinters as long as a man’s arm flew freely and one of the ship’s masts threatened to fall over. And before the echo had even died the Akuma vessle fired again, once again peppering the ship with grape. There were fewer casualties this time but there always seemed to be one person unlucky enough to find nothing between them and the shot. 

“They’ll switch to ball shot next.” Muttered Mister Kante as the sailors began reloading the cannons. All told they had been lucky so far, and the crew looked to their captain to finish this and keep them afloat and alive. But it never got easier. Even with a competent ship’s doctor the miraculous power of the Ladybug that gave their home her name there were always a few who couldn’t be revived in time. Always a few who died instantly. But if half of the stories the captain told were true then this was the right thing to do. And the bounties on offer were amazing. Even Edward Teach couldn’t boast of such a high reward for his head. 

On the upper deck the captain prepared for her part in all of this. The men knew what to do, and her first officer, Mister Andrews, could keep the ship in good order while she dealt with the Akuma itself. Climbing the rigging to the crow’s nest with superhuman speed she launched herself off of the rigging and into the ocean as her crew cheered below. Her coat and hat had been abandoned in favor of leggings and a simple shirt, still evoking the coloration of the ship. She carried no gun but there was a sword strapped to her hip. 

The Ladybug held off firing while the captain was crossing the narrowing gap between the vessels, but let a round fly just before she reached the Akuma sloop. They aimed high, just to make sure not to hit the swimming captain, but still managed to hit their marks. The sloop pock-marked with round shot holes. One cannon was struck and exploded as it prepared to return fire. And something must have hit the powder stores because in seconds the Akuma vessel was on fire. It still returned another round though and the Ladybug wasn’t looking much better. This would be decided in short order one way or another. And Captain Thompson knew this. It always seemed to come down to this final thing, this attempt at cleansing. And the unfortunate mercy kill if that failed. 

With a single great heave the Captain pulled herself onto the deck of the sloop. Instantly every swivel mounted chase gun trained on her and opened fire. They were all denied. Some found only empty air as she continued to move, bouncing off of a mast to ricochet against the rigging before coming to the deck again. Other shots were deflected by her sword or the humming disc that marked the flight of her yo-yo as she defended herself. 

“It’s over Captain. Surrender and I can give you your parole.” Thompson said as she approached the strange figure still at the wheel. He said nothing in reply. In fact from the look of it he hadn’t even heard her. SHe approached cautiously and prodded him with her sword. The figure crumbled at the touch. In the same instant an almost beastial roar was her only warning that he had managed to get to the deck behind her. Her spinning yo-yo caught him in the chin and he distintigrated again. Two more approached, held back by blade and toy. 

“Show yourself coward!” Thompson yelled to no one in particular. Her eyes scanned the ship, desperate for a clue as to the brigand’s true location. Leaping out of the way of a charge she cleared the deck where she landed, buying a few seconds. With practiced motion she reached skyward. 

“Lucky Charm!” as usual something red and black and covered in spots fell into her waiting hand. In this case it was....

“A ship’s hook?” she asked incredulously. The thing was heavy and garishly colored (as these things always were) in red with black spots. But it was undeniably a hook, such as one migh use to push or pull a raft near the shore. There were a few on The Ladybug and doubtless more on this vessel as well. Still there was no time to question it. Scanning the deck Captain Ladybug’s vision became tinted. Most colors became faded and washed out but certain objects, the small deck guns, the rat lines leading up the mast, and the newly formed body of the akumatized sailor, all flashed in the same pattern of spots as the tool.   
Without a word Captain Ladybug sprang into action, just barely dodging the next salvo of shot headed for her. With a leap she managed to land on top of one of the guns, which began bucking and jerking in an attempt to dislodge her. The hook served to steady her as the gun continued to twirl as if possessed. The others, all guided by the same mind, began to aim for her again. At the last moment she let the miniature brass cannon buck her off, flying towards the rat lines. The report from the other guns was met with a clang from the one she had just vacated before it flew off of it’s post and into the ocean. The remaining guns somehow seemed disappointed, each one “looking” down at the deck for a moment before swiveling back to her. BUt the captain was already aloft, grabbing the akuma fleet flag and cutting it free. It fluttered to the deck below, accompanied by a bellow from the monstrous shape of wood and steel. Almost flying up the main mast he made it to the captain in seconds, leaping up to charge at her.

Unfortunately for him she was ready, with the boat hook braced to meet the charge from below. Levering him around she sent the monster flying out into the warm waters of the Caribean. As he flew the Captain spotted a glint of something tucked into the thing’s belt. The distinctive zip of her yo-yo was followed by a triumphant whoop as she retrieved the letter of marque. The paper fairly glowed even in the daylight. Tearing the paper released the strange butterfly that mirrored the one on the flag. The yo-yo was out again in seconds as Captain Ladybug snagged the insect out of the air. 

“In the King’s name, hold!” She yelled as the toy snapped closed around the butterfly. In moments it was released, now shining properly rather than a sickly dark purple. 

“Farewell.” The Captain called. Seconds later she threw the boat hook high and a rush of magic restored the ship she stood atop, now under it’s proper name of Remonda. The crew were restored and the captain at the wheel. Each looked a bit confused but cheered when they saw the crimson and sable figure at the top of the mast. Dropping to the deck with a bow Captain Ladybug took the flag, the only remaining evidence of the akuma’s influence, and sprang off, returning to her vessel in short order. It was also repaired and the sailors in proper shape again. For once no one had been lost to a sudden death. 

“Let’s get into port I have a bounty to collect.” The captain’s order was quiet as the toil of the fight caught up to her. The red and black outfit disappeared, as did the changes to the ship, as she went to her cabin to rest. Not for the first time she wished for some more help in her pirate hunting. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The rain was still coming down in sheets as Marinette closed the book and turned out the light. 

“Somehow I had the impression that Ladybug and Chat Noir always worked together.” She half mumbled. 

“Well, usually yes. But that was just the first story. There are plenty more. Maybe tomorrow, if you still aren’t feeling well I mean.” 

“Thanks Tikki. Though really, even if I am I should probably read these. Good night.” With a sigh the young girl rolled over and was asleep in seconds, Tikki watched over her charge for a moment before returning to the book, leafing through it’s pages to decide what to show Marinette next.


End file.
